Man Assaulted

Sheriff's deputies have arrested one suspect and are looking for another after a man was beaten and robbed early Jan. 26.

The victim told investigators he was robbed at gunpoint near the intersection of Ambaum Boulevard Southwest and Southwest 136th Street about 1 a.m.

The robbers ran off and the victim flagged down a deputy for help. Deputies searched the area, and a police dog found and bit one of the suspected robbers a few blocks away. Officials said they recovered a gun and several shell casings, but they do not believe the men shot at anyone during the robbery.

The second man involved in the robbery is still at large. The victim was treated at Highline Hospital for injuries he suffered during the robbery.

Attempted Armed Robbery

Des Moines officers arrested a 17-year-old male in the process of committing an armed robbery at the EZ Mart located in the 21600 block of Marine View Drive South.

The store owner was standing behind the front counter when he saw the suspect walk in the front doors, past the counter to the back of the store, then directly up to the front counter. He pulled out a large butcher knife he had been concealing in his jacket, and pointed it at the storeowner while demanding money.

At this time a female customer walked into the store and up to the counter, causing the suspect to turn and step away. The owner instructed the customer to leave the store and then followed the customer out the front door. The owner instructed the customer to call 911 while he watched the suspect through the windows taking a gold necklace and bandana. Des Moines officers arrived within 90 seconds of the 911 call.

Officers ordered the suspect to lie on the ground; the suspect complied, but continued to hold a knife in each hand, ignoring orders to release the knife.

A taser was used causing the suspect to surrender the weapons. The case has been forwarded to the Regional Justice Center for the filing of charges.

Metro Bus Driver Assaulted

Three teens accused in the beating of a Metro bus driver pleaded not guilty Thursday to the charges against them. The three teen boys, ages 15, 16 and 17, all were charged with first-degree malicious mischief.

The 15-year-old boy also was charged with third-degree assault. If convicted, two of the teenagers - the 16-year-old and the 17-year-old - could face up to 30 days in juvenile detention.

The 15-year-old could face up to a year behind bars. The driver said she was operating a bus on Route 125 in Tukwila when she was assaulted just after midnight on Saturday Jan. 23.

The woman told detectives she saw in her mirror a group of agitated teens, and even though Metro rules prohibit the use of the rear doors at night, she opted to open them and let them out. When she looked in her mirror again, she saw some of the teens coming toward her. Investigators said they received 911 calls from several passengers who said the driver had just been assaulted and knocked unconscious.

The first deputy on the scene found the driver slumped over on the steering wheel, bleeding from the mouth.

The driver was taken to Valley General Hospital. Investigators, using witness accounts and the help of K-9 officers, tracked down three teens at a nearby home and arrested them. Two of the teens' shoe prints matched the prints found on the bus, they said.

The 16-year-old told investigators he was on the bus at the time of the attack, but was not aware of his surroundings because he was drunk.

Detectives said a number of factors indicate the 15-year-old had been the one who assaulted the driver; however, the teen claims he merely "cussed" at the driver before running off with the other teens, according to the document.

The driver suffered a concussion, a black eye, several lacerations, facial swelling, and pain in her neck and groin. The attack left her in intense pain and dealing with severe dizziness for days, detectives said, but the woman said she's not holding grudges.

An elderly driver ran a red light at the intersection of Southwest 160th Street and Sylvester Road Southwest last week and hit another car. Both drivers were transported to Highline Medical Center with minor injuries.